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Skeleton stripper: Halloween display gets upgrade after city complains

The display in question features a skeleton seemingly dancing on a street sign, as two other skeletons — with dollar bills in hand — look on.
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Utah is known for the decorative and highly creative Halloween displays put up by residents across the state, but one particular city demanded a set of decorations be removed immediately.

Grantsville officials took to social media Wednesday, apparently demanding the somewhat raunchy Halloween setup be taken off city streets. A photo of the display in question shows what appears to be a skeleton performing a pole dance on a Grantsville street sign as two other skeletons, one with dollar bills in its bony hand, look on.

Grantsville City

In the post, the city says the display must be removed because it is technically illegal, not because of its subject matter.

"Displays like this are not acceptable as it is against city code to attach anything to a street sign," the city wrote. 

The decorations were ordered to be removed by 9 p.m. Wednesday or they would be taken down by the city. But by 7:30, whomever the skeleton display belonged to had already moved it to their front yard. 

Not only did they move it to comply with the city's demand — they added a pole in the ground, lights wrapped around the pole, a ring of multi-colored lights around the "stage," and a tip jar.

Comments on Grantsville City's post were decidedly pro-display no matter its content, with many giving the city the equivalent of raisin packs on Halloween.

"This is my absolute favorite decoration ever!!!! They switch it up and it’s hilarious! Why are people so uptight. Maybe laugh a little," wrote one person.

"I salute the Halloween Decoration WIZARD that created this MASTERPIECE," said one man. "Should be framed next to the Mona Lisa and Picasso's."

A call to the city regarding the decoration demand has not yet been returned.

This story was originally published by Scripps News Salt Lake City.